Marriage: Same-Sex Marriage

The institution of marriage has long been a widely held value in our culture and many others throughout the world.   In recent years American youth have questioned the institution of marriage and have basically ruled it out of their repertoire of things to do in life, at least in my generation.   I can honestly say that although I am aware that marriage is important and my parents and grandparents have always encouraged me to get married I really don’t know what the point would be.   Other than the fact that spouses file taxes together I really can’t see what the hype is all about.   So much money is spent on weddings today and for what?   So it can just end in divorce?   This is just one of many of the commonly held arguments against getting married today.   I can’t say that I blame those who are against it since our track record in this country is so high, however one may be surprised to know that there are actually many benefits to getting married; some of which people may find very surprising. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary marriage is defined as “ the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law” (2012).   Interestingly there is an addendum to this definition that goes on to say that marriage is also “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage ” (2012).   I find this interesting because our federal government does not agree with the second part of this definition, which is the start of where things become extremely complicated.   I can’t say that I disagree with either of these definitions and if I were to put it in my own words I would just define marriage as the union of two people into a formal relationship recognized by law.   However, my definition of marriage is not what is important.   Rather the federal government and state definitions of marriage are what matter to most individuals, especially...